(Credit: Rockstar Games)
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UPDATE: Rockstar Games has delayed the release of Grand Theft Auto VI yet again, pushing it from May 2026 to Nov. 19, 2026.
"We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve," Rockstar Games said in a note on its website.
"We want to thank you again for your patience and support. While the wait is a little longer, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the sprawling state of Leonida and a return to modern day Vice City," it added.
Last year, Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said GTA VI would release in the fall of 2025. In May 2025, it was delayed until May 2026.
Eager fans are not thrilled with the update, with many joking that they'll be senior citizens by the time the game finally launches. Rival game studios are also likely questioning whether they need to shift any releases they had planned for next year's holiday season.
This comes after Rockstar reportedly fired up to 40 staff members in the UK and Canada to prevent them from unionizing.
Original Story (5/5):
Sorry, GTA fans: Rockstar Games has delayed the release of Grand Theft Auto VI from this year to May 2026. "We are very sorry that this is later than you expected," the company said today.
Indeed, the wait has been long. (GTA V came out in 2013!) But Rockstar says the holdup will be worth it. “With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception,” it says. “We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”
In some good news, Rockstar promised more details about the game soon. So far, the company has only released one trailer for GTA VI, which had gamers clamoring for more footage.
A year ago, Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, insisted that GTA VI would release in fall 2025, despite rumors of a potential delay.
Gamers have big expectations, especially since Rockstar’s last major single-player-focused title, Red Dead Redemption 2, is considered a masterpiece of epic storytelling, top-notch graphics, and engrossing open-world gameplay.
However, the delay of GTA VI might cause other video game developers to try to fill the void since Rockstar is vacating the fall 2025 launch window. According to The Game Business Newsletter, some major publishers deliberately held off on confirming their games for Q4 to avoid competing against GTA VI.
For more on that, check out our roundup of the best games coming out in 2025.